Vinyl chloride polymers plasticized with alkyl carbonates of glycol lactates



Patented Apr. 27, 1954 VIN 'YL CHLORIDE POLYNIERS PLASTICIZED" WITH ALKYL CARBONATES .OF .GLYGOL LACTATES Chessie'E. Rehberg, 'Glenside, Pa., assignorto the United"States --of America asrepresented by the JSecret'ary otAgriculture N Drawing.

Original application November 10,

1950, Serial'No. 195,137. Divided and this application 'June 17, 1952, Serial ?No. 294,112

3 -01aims.

(Granted under Title 35, U. S.Code (1952),

sec. 266) The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes throughout the world without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to the use of certain alkyl carbonate diesters of glycol dilactates as plasticizers. It is a division of Serial No. 195,137, filed November 10, 1950.

The carbonates of the invention may be represented by the formula O-GOOR 0COOR 0-0 O-( ,HOHa

where -X is an aliphatic, saturated, bivalent radical of a glycol having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms and which may contain either oxygens, and R is an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

These carbonates are high boiling esters useful as plasticizers for synthetic plastics. They are compatible with ethyl cellulose and when neither -X nor R contain more than four carbon atoms, the esters are compatible with cellulose acetate. Where both X- and R. contain at least two carbon atoms, the carbonates are compatible with vinyl chloride polymers and copolymers.

The carbonates are conveniently prepared by the reaction of an alkyl chlorocarbonate (chloroformate) with a glycol dilactate, as indicated by the equation below. They can also be produced by treating the glycol dilactate with phosgene and reacting the resulting product with an alkanol.

O-C O-(EHCH; 0-0 O-GHCH OH 0-0 0 O R +2ClOOOR X 21101 (I)H 0-0 0 OR O-O O-CHCH; 0-0 O-OHOH; Glycol dilactatc Alkyl Alkyl carbonate of chlorocarbonate glycol dilactate The glycol dilactates suitable for use in production of the carbonate; in accordance with the above equation are, for example, those in which -X is C2H4 (ethelene glycol dilactate), --CH(CI13)CH2- (propylene glycol dilactate), -C H(CH2H5)CH2 (butylene glycol dilactate), CI-I(C4H9)CH2- (hexylene glycol dilactate), CH2)3 (trymethylene glycol dilactate), (CH2)4 (tetramethylene glycol dilactate), (CH2)5-- (pentamethylene glycol dilactate), -(CH2)2O(CH2)2 (diethylene glycol dilactate),

' 2 and -(CH2).20 (CH2) 2O (CH2) 2 (triethylene. glycol dilactate).

Compounds wherein X is (CH2)2O(CH2)2- and R contains from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, are especially efficacious as plasticizers for vinyl chloride polymers and copolymers.

The following examples illustrate the invention:

EXAMPLE I One mole of diethylene glycol dilactate (X-- being (CH2)2O(CH2)2-) was dissolved in 300 cc. of dry ether, and 2.2 moles of pyridine was then added. The solution was stirred and kept at 0 to 10 C. while 2.2 moles of ethyl chlorocarbonate (B being CHzCI-Ia) was slowly added. The mixture Was then heated at 40 to 50 C. for 2 hours.

The reaction mixture was then washed successively with water, 2% aqueous hydrochloric acid, 2% aqueous sodium hydroxide and again with water. The ether and other volatile components were then removed by distillation, first at atmospheric pressure, and then under vacuum ending at a pot temperature of 150 C. and a pressure of 1 mm. The distillation residue thus obtained was an almost colorless material having a neutral reaction and consisted of substantially pure bis-(ethyl carbonate) of diethylene glycol dilactate having the formula 1 (CH2); oooooH2oH.

CCOHOH3 which on distillation yielded the analytically pure product having the following characteristics: Boiling point C./0.01 mm. n 1.4396. (14

EXAMPLE II tained are shown in the following table which also includes, for purpose of comparison, data obtained using as a control the same proportions of di-Z-ethylhexyl phthalate, a standard and widely used commercial plasticizing agent.

Properties of plasticized mater al Similar results are obtained by analogous procedures using other higher alkyl carbonates of glycol dilactate such as the octyl, decyl and dodecyl carbonate.

I claim:

1. A plastic composition comprising polymerized vinyl chloride plasticized with a compound having the formula o-oo-onom -o0on X l r-coon OOOOHCH: wherein X is an aliphatic, saturated, bivalent radical of a glycol having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms and which may contain ether oxygens, and R is an alkyl group having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms.

2. A composition as in claim 1 wherein the alkyl carbonate diester is an ethyl carbonate diester.

3. A composition as in claim 1 wherein the alkyl carbonate diester is an n-hexyl carbonate diester.

References Cited in the file of this patent Ind. & Eng. Chem. article by Rehberg et al., vol. 42, No. '7, pages 1409-1411, July 1950. 

1. A PLASTIC COMPOSITION COMPRISING POLYMERIZED VINYL CHLORIDE PLASTICIZED WITH A COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA 